וִיהֹֽושָׁפָט֙ בֶּן־אָסָ֔א מָלַ֖ךְ עַל־יְהוּדָ֑ה בִּשְׁנַ֣ת אַרְבַּ֔ע לְאַחְאָ֖ב מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And Yehoshafat son of Asa reigned over Yehuda in the fourth year of Aḥav king of Yisraʾel.
Morphology
- וִיהֹושָׁפָט (vi-Yehoshafat) – Root: יהושפט (Yehoshafat); Form: Conjunction + proper noun masculine singular; Translation: “And Yehoshafat”; Notes: Begins a new royal notice regarding the king of Yehudah.
- בֶּן־אָסָא (ben-Asa) – Roots: בן (ben), אסא (Asa); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “son of Asa”; Notes: Identifies royal lineage; Asa was a righteous king of Yehudah.
- מָלַךְ (malakh) – Root: מלך (malakh); Form: Qal perfect 3rd person masculine singular; Translation: “reigned”; Notes: Begins his reign officially.
- עַל־יְהוּדָה (ʿal-Yehudah) – Root: יהודה (Yehudah); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “over Yehudah”; Notes: Refers to the southern kingdom of Yisraʾel.
- בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבַּע (bi-shenat arbaʿ) – Roots: שׁנה (shanah), ארבע (arbaʿ); Form: Preposition + construct noun feminine singular + cardinal number; Translation: “in the fourth year”; Notes: Provides chronological context for Yehoshafat’s accession.
- לְאַחְאָב (le-Aḥav) – Root: אחאב (Aḥav); Form: Preposition + proper noun; Translation: “of Aḥav”; Notes: Refers to the king of the northern kingdom, Yisraʾel.
- מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל (melekh Yisraʾel) – Roots: מלך (melekh), ישראל (Yisraʾel); Form: Construct noun + proper noun; Translation: “king of Yisraʾel”; Notes: Confirms the dating based on the reign of Aḥav of the northern kingdom.